I finally have a doctor! After searching with absolutely NO luck for a midwife in the area, I just picked a doctor's practice off of my health plan, made an appointment, and hoped for the best. Any doubts I had about my choice were completely aleviated when I met her - Dr. Scanlon is just fabulous! She came into my room wearing a cute little outfit, shook my hands, and was the perfect combination of professional and approchable. She was very patient with my huge list of questions and went through all the "stuff" with me. They did my blood work right there in the office and scheduled me for a routine sonogram for the afternoon. The receptionist told me to bring a video tape with me and I could get a copy! This sonogram was even cooler than the last one. The baby is constantly in motion - moving arms and legs, turning over. I realized lying there that I have been feeling the baby for weeks and just hadn't realized it! Never having done this before, I didn't know THAT was what it felt like! My mom got to come with and we both cried. For me, it was because I got to see my baby in action for the very first time. This is someone I will know for the rest of my life. Someone who will completely change who I know myself to be and who will continually amaze me as they grow in the world. It was a very moving experience.

Being back in the place where I grew up has brought to mind a lot of things that I had forgotten. I'll just be driving down the road and suddenly I remember. Like how long the walk to Jr. High used to seem dragging my trombone (which was half the size of me!) every step. Or how much fun I used to have watching my hunky high school boyfriend practice with the football team outside our kitchen window after school. I had pretty much forgotten the story I am going to tell you until I drove by the "scene of the crime"...

I had been seeing this guy for about a month. We decided to get a movie on Saturday night and stopped at the video store by his house to pick one up. We finally made our selection and brought it up to the counter. My date gave his name and the clerk brought up his account on the computer. "Um, sir, you have $35 in late fees." At this point, my date became completely indignant and demanded to know what movie they were charging him those kinds of late fees on. "Sir," said the clerk - trying to be tactful "You may just want to pay the fee". The clerk shot me a glance, then quickly averted his eyes. "I DEMAND that you tell me what the movie was!" My date looked over at me and gave me a reassuring node - one that let me know that he was an in-charge kind of guy and not one to be taken advantage of by a monkey behind a movie rental desk. "Okay - you asked." the clerk said with a sigh. "Three-Way F***Fest". I only wish I had been able to see my date's face when the title ! came rolling off the clerk's tongue. Too bad I was standing back a step or two behind - by the time I was in visual range my date had composed himself and was saying "Oh. I see. In that case, can you break a hundred?"

I hope you are doing well. I hope you have a sense of satisfaction about your life when you lay down at night - knowing that things are just as you would have them be. I hope you are richly blessed with friends and family and know that you are loved and valued in the world. I hope you are filled up when you think of what you have and of what you have to look forward to. More than anything, I hope you love the person who looks back at you in the mirror and can honestly tell them that you are proud of them.

Much Love -
Sharon